Ajar
by Casa Circe
Summary: Nothing gets the blood pumping quite like a good workout.
1. Unexpected Revelations

_**Ajar**_

_Note: _

_This is just shameless smut. I can't get over this crack ship and I keep thinking of weird scenarios for them. This is the most explicit thing I have ever written and probably quite terrible. So that's a warning to you to stop reading right here and find something more worthwhile to peruse._

_If you decide to keep on reading, you've been warned._

_This is set in the universe of "A Means to an End" but you don't really need to read that first. In general terms, this is set after the series, several years after the war and both Merle and Dilandau have been staying in the same place for several months for various reasons. Their constant contact leads to a reluctant, mutual attraction and shenanigans ensue._

_I've had this idea for a while and I always found it hilarious but I didn't have the guts to write or post this until this year when I figured, what the hell. _

_Happy birthday, Dilandau!_

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Nothing gets the blood pumping quite like a good training session.

At least that was what Dilandau Albatou thought after a particularly intense afternoon practicing with his sword. The exercise had been so invigorating that he was ready to return to his room to rest a bit earlier than usual.

But as he made his way down the hall, he stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a most distracting sound. He was too surprised to properly identify it but when he heard it again, and louder this time, there was no doubt about what it was.

Someone was moaning.

And it was the specific kind of moaning that also got one's blood pumping.

What made it worse was that Dilandau thought he recognized that someone, only making the whole situation more unsettling. He tried not to think of her but when the moans were soon mixed with meows and purrs, the culprit's identity was all but confirmed.

Merle.

Dilandau clenched his fists and frowned. He had been trying his best these past weeks not to think of her, not to dwell on his growing attraction to the exuberant cat-girl. But how could he succeed when he heard such noises from her on a seemingly quiet afternoon?

They had been sharing the same roof for months and had reached some sort of uneasy truce. For some reason, she was constantly watching him when he practiced sword fighting in the evenings and when he had confronted her about it, she had made some flimsy excuse about making sure he wasn't up to trouble. They had exchanged tense words and lingering glances and danced around each other carefully all this time, neither one acknowledging any real interest in the other. He could not speak for her but, much to his frustration, he had become drawn to her and had begun imagining certain, stimulating situations. But he feared that he could never act on any of this and he was determined to keep his longings to himself.

But he found himself rooted to the spot as his ears were assaulted with louder and louder moans of pleasure from the clearly enthusiastic cat-girl. The sounds were coming from a nearby room, one he knew not to be hers, where the door was slightly ajar. He dared not look inside, although he was sorely tempted and he already felt an uncomfortably familiar stirring in his loins.

For a moment, Dilandau felt a pang of jealousy for whoever was eliciting such noises from Merle and then he berated himself for being so foolish. He had no right to be jealous of her lover. It was not as if there was any understanding between them though he secretly wished this was possible.

But as he listened closely, he noticed that there did not seem to be anyone with her. Even the most discreet of lovers would have made some sound. And yet, all the moans seemed to be from her alone. After a few more agonizing moments, Dilandau was sure of it. All the more did he feel that he was intruding on her privacy, albeit unintentionally. He was relieved that there was no one else in the hallway. It was mortifying enough that he was witness to what she surely preferred to keep to herself.

"I should leave her to it," he told himself, "I have no business being here."

With as much resolve as he could muster, he decided to go as far away from this maddening situation as possible. He barely managed to take a few steps when another sound stopped him.

"Oh, Dilandau!"

The man in question froze, eyes wide in disbelief.

Surely, he was hallucinating this time. He must be projecting his own desires. There was no way…

"Don't stop, Dilandau! Yes! Yes!"

This could not be ignored.

Carefully, he walked towards the room and peered through the open door. There was not much of a view so he dared to open the door a little wider. Merle continued to moan and meow, oblivious to his presence. Dilandau even managed to make his way all the way inside the room without alerting to his arrival.

He stared at the glorious sight before him.

Merle was lying on a bed, completely naked, eyes closed as she focused on her pleasure. One hand was caressing a breast while the other was busy between her legs. She writhed energetically, her moans growing louder as she continued her fantasy. And all the while, she kept calling his name.

"Oh, Dilandau, more, more!" she cried as she moved her hand faster, her fingers making circular motions around her clit.

Dilandau watched her, mesmerized, as she raised her hips and bucked into her own hand while squeezing her breast and crying for him. He had never been in such a situation before but he was not complaining. Only now did he fully realize how much she wanted him, and he was eager to reciprocate such desires.

"Fuck me, Dilandau!" Merle moaned.

Gods, he wanted to, so badly.

And yet, it was his own vanity that restrained him because he was curious to see if she would be able to reach completion simply by imagining him there. Would the mere thought of him be enough to give her an orgasm? He watched in fascination, struggling to keep his own growing arousal in check, as the beautiful cat-girl continued her eager movements.

Merle bit her lip as she moved more frantically, her brow furrowed, and her fingers moving faster around her clit. She felt herself growing closer and closer so she thrashed across the bed, her other hand now clutching at the sheets, as she pushed herself over the edge at last.

"Oh, gods, yes!" she cried triumphantly, and it was fortunate that Dilandau had somehow managed to close the door so that no one else would intrude on such an intimate moment.

With a satisfied sigh, the catgirl sank back into the bed, purring as she recovered from her orgasm. She smiled and finally opened her eyes, slowly, as she wanted to linger in her fantasy as long as she could.

She was startled by the sound of someone clearing his throat. Immediately, Merle pulled a blanket around her and tried to glare at the intruder, ready to fight, only to find herself face to face with the object of her fantasies.

"You called?" Dilandau said with a grin, trying to look as nonchalant as he could but unable to mask the desire in his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Merle asked in shock, a blush spreading across her face.

"You were calling my name," Dilandau replied, knowing full well how ridiculous this sounded but not knowing what else to say, "And the door was open."

Merle looked absolutely mortified, and turned her gaze away, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. She was usually so careful. How could she have not noticed him there? She worried now that he would mock her for her foolishness and she did not know how she would bear it. He was never supposed to know but now it was too late.

"Aren't you supposed to be practicing?" she asked weakly.

"I finished a little early today," he explained. He was at a loss for words though he was eager to reassure her that she had nothing to be ashamed of.

The cat-girl seemed close to tears and she could still not look at him. "How long have you been standing there?" she whispered.

"Long enough," he replied softly before adding, "How long have you wanted this?"

Merle heard something in his tone then, something she had not expected. There was a hint of longing in the question and she made herself look at him. And the expression in his eyes confirmed it.

Emboldened by this, she replied, "Ages."

She saw him nod slightly and, to her delight, she knew she might finally have the chance to experience what she had heretofore only imagined. Her heart was beating wildly but she knew she could not let this opportunity pass.

"And now that you know, what do you intend to do about it?" she asked coyly. She bit her lower lip as her gaze turned to the bulge in his pants. This interest did not go unnoticed.

"Are you up for another round?" Dilandau asked mischievously, "This time, I'd like to participate."

Merle smiled and let the blanket fall from her figure.

"Well, come on then," she said.


	2. Exceeding Expectations

Ajar

NOTE:

_Happy Birthday, Dilandau!_

_This_ _is just filth, unadulterated filth._

_Please don't expect anything else. _

_Given the premise of the whole story, there wasn't going to be much to it. And this probably became my dumping ground for smutty scenes that I wrote for these two that I didn't need to develop too much backstory for. And there will be some cliché and porn-y dialogue but hopefully this will just make the story more hilarious. I don't know why I keep putting them in these awkward situations but it can also be a bit of a relief since they are not angsty as my other ships so it's less heavy to write about. Or at least Merle can bring out a lighter, more mischievous side of Dilandau anyway._

_And there are a few f-bombs in this chapter as well and I think that's covered by the story's rating. That was another experiment since I've never tried using such terms in my stories before. But honestly, if I think about which Escaflowne characters would be most likely to use the f-word, Dilandau is definitely at the top of my list. And since this is an adult Merle who has also seen much of the world, she would not shy away from using such language in certain situations._

_So, you've been warned._

_Enjoy!_

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Merle didn't waste any time.

As soon as Dilandau was on the bed, she grabbed him by the shoulders and pressed her lips to his. Startled for a moment, Dilandau then kissed her back, putting his arms around her and pressing their bodies together tightly.

After having witnessed her passion, Dilandau was eager to experience it himself and to prove that he was well worth the fantasies.

Their naked bodies intertwined as they succumbed to their desires - moaning, grunting, gasping, sighing as they devoured each other in many different ways.

Merle was on top at first, grinding her hips against his and riding him hard, throwing her head back and moaning as she felt him fill her completely. She bounced on top of him and moaned as he held her sides and then began to squeeze her rear, even playfully tugging at her tail.

"You're magnificent," Dilandau said as he watched her in awe. This unexpected praise made Merle squeal with delight and only increased her pleasure.

Dilandau was amused and aroused by her enthusiasm and matched it with his own eager thrusts. He was enjoying the intensity of this unexpected encounter.

"Oh Dilandau!" she cried as she went over the edge, her nails digging into his skin.

He gave her a moment to catch her breath, marveling at how quickly she had been satisfied. And hearing his name cried out with such passion only encouraged him to make her do it again and again.

He had been impressed at her taking the lead. But he was not to be outdone.

Deftly, he switched their positions until she was writhing beneath him, moaning with pleasure as he pounded relentlessly into her. He licked and sucked at her neck hungrily while squeezing one of her breasts rather roughly but in a way that only made her moan and mewl louder with pleasure. He raised her legs over his shoulders so that he could push deeper and deeper inside her.

"Fuck me, harder, faster," she begged, clutching at his back and arching her body into his as he thrust eagerly into her. "Don't stop, oh gods, don't stop!"

Dilandau was more than happy to oblige.

"Fuck, you feel so good," he muttered in a ragged voice as he kept plunging himself into her wet heat. It had been so long and he had never expected to reach the heights of such pleasure again.

Merle smiled as she adjusted their position so that she could wrap her legs around his waist to push him deeper inside her. She ran her hands all over his back and then threaded her fingers through his hair. She could not get enough of him.

He buried his face into her neck as he continued and at times ran his tongue across her skin and sucked at her neck, effectively eliciting more satisfied moans and meows.

Immediately, Merle felt the pleasure build up inside her again. This had never happened before and she had never imagined it possible to orgasm again so quickly. But he was proving to be more skilled at sex than she had ever expected and Merle screamed with delight as she came again, clutching at Dilandau's back desperately.

"Merle," he said in a low growl, "Let me hear you say my name again!"

"Then, you'd better keep giving me reasons to," she teased with a grin. But he was up to the challenge.

As the cat-girl caught her breath, Dilandau adjusted his position again and spread her legs before running his tongue across her soft flesh. Merle immediately arched her body towards his mouth and he smirked at how easily he had been able to excite her.

The cat-girl's claws extended as she clutched at the sheets behind her, tearing into the fabric violently as she thrashed about the bed. She had imagined them performing this particular activity before but she had underestimated his expertise.

Dilandau was busy licking and sucking her between her legs. He had found the sensitive nub and he was focusing his efforts on stimulating it. The cat-girl was going mad from pleasure.

"Dilandau! Oh Dilandau!" she could not stop calling out his name and the more he heard her, the more determined he was to make her his. After having plunged himself deeper and deeper into her, he knew that he was already hers.

He had never wanted anyone this much before and knowing that she had wanted him too, only excited him further. She seemed insatiable and yet he had never realized that he had such an appetite as well.

Merle could scarcely believe that he was actually there, with her, inside her, fulfilling all the fantasies that had haunted her lonely nights. She had never imagined the reality to be this intense and amazing.

She was now glad that she had left the door ajar. A moment's embarrassment had unexpectedly turned into a dream come true.

Their bodies moved in frantic unison and she had never felt so in sync with anyone before. He had found the rhythm and intensity she had always wanted and she had never been so satisfied. And yet, she still wanted more.

They took turns kissing and licking each other before connecting their bodies once more and moving as one. They scratched and clutched at each other, no doubt leaving marks and bruises, but they didn't care. They sometimes moved clumsily in their eagerness to remain connected but this did not deter them from continuing with even greater fervor.

Somehow Dilandau felt he would not be able to do this with any stranger, no matter how seductive. It had to be her, only her.

All those lingering glances and meaningful silences. All those moments when he had caught her staring when she thought he wasn't paying attention. All those nights that he sense her presence as he practiced shirtless with his sword.

She had always been there. Waiting for him. Wanting him.

Why had he not seen it before? And why had he not bothered to act?

All the years alone had suddenly been exposed and he sensed that it had been a while for her too. They were definitely no strangers to passion and yet the desperation and urgency with which they moved hinted at an extended period of loneliness. They had needed this so badly and it had taken them so long to finally do it.

What had held them back?

Complications like history, politics, old wounds, and faded scars. Doubt, hesitation, fear, confusion, overthinking. But despite all these they had still found a way to want each other this much. The world had changed and so had they.

Surely, this was not as bad as they feared it was. Not when it felt so good.

They owed no explanations to anyone. They were free to want each other and to act upon it. After all, they had denied themselves for long enough.

They melted into each other all through the night, pushing each other over the edge, and then stopping to catch their breaths before resuming their frenzied activity, eager to reach the same highs or to even surpass them. It felt like they were making up for so much lost time.

The night was reserved for the fulfillment of their desires, the consummation of a passion they had never even realized was there, buried deep within them, and now, exploding with such irresistible force that they found that they were easily able to set aside troublesome things like history, allegiances, reputation. None of these mattered anymore.

Why even dwell on such things when they were both on fire?

When they were finally too exhausted to move, they lay side by side on the bed, chests heaving at first and then they both sighed with satisfaction. The experience had gone beyond what either of them had expected and they both needed a moment to fully grasp what they had just begun together, and what they both hoped to continue.

Dilandau turned to face Merle.

"So how did that compare to what you imagined?" he asked mischievously.

"I would say you exceeded my expectations," the cat-girl replied with a wink, "Several times."

"Well then, if you'll allow me," Dilandau told her slyly, leaning closer to her, "I would like to keep exceeding your expectations every night."

"I look forward to it," Merle replied, pulling him into a passionate kiss.


End file.
